Media Clip: Raleigh project pitched near NCSU (News & Observer)

Source: News & Observer (visit website)
Published: Monday, July 18, 2011
By Matt Garfield

RALEIGH -- A rundown block of Hillsborough Street could become home to a multistory development with a drugstore, offices, residential units and possibly a restaurant - a plan that signals momentum for Raleigh's remodeled college-town strip.

Kerr Drug envisions a ground-level flagship store honoring its roots in the Capital City.

Originally founded in Raleigh by Banks Kerr in 1951, the company decided its "face in the Triangle needed a refurbishment," executive Ed Anderson told a group of neighbors last week.

"Our headquarters is here," Anderson said. "We felt like we needed a store that reflected our success."

To make way for the three- to five-story project at Hillsborough and Friendly Drive, crews would demolish the Time Out restaurant, the Katmandu bar and The Brewery, a live music venue.

Some neighbors have raised concerns over the size and scale of the proposed building. They urge the city not to allow a prominent drive-through window with the drugstore.

But many applaud the overall concept, saying it will bring new life to an unappealing block.

"What's there right now is abysmal," said Karen Rindge, a neighbor and director of the advocacy group WakeUp Wake County. "That side of Hillsborough Street is desperate for redevelopment."

Developers haven't settled on a mix of tenants and uses, but they describe a street-friendly design that will cater to pedestrians and bus passengers. In the long-term, train stops are planned along Hillsborough Street as part of a future light rail line.

The city plans a roundabout for the intersection, part of a concept first devised for the area in 1999.

A parking deck

As with many development sites near N.C. State University, parking is a thorny issue. The project would rely on a 1,000-space deck already approved on separate land behind the property. A start date for the deck is unclear.

"This site can't be developed without the construction of a parking deck on some other property," said Ed Sconfienza, an engineer for the project.

A drugstore within walking distance ranks high on the wish list for students, staff members and many neighbors around NCSU, said Jeff Murison, director of a city-supported nonprofit that manages and promotes the Hillsborough Street district.

Also on the list: a 24-hour diner and more shopping options.

"We'd love to see a multistory building there that has a variety of uses," Murison said.

The activity along Hillsborough comes after the city spent $9.9 million on a renovation that brought wider sidewalks, lighting and pedestrian upgrades.

Other projects are in various stages of development. The Stanhope Center, a 10-story student housing complex, is under construction on an adjacent site.

The city may extend street upgrades farther west on Hillsborough Street. A proposed transportation bond includes $1 million for design work on a six-block stretch from Gardner Street to Rosemary Street.

"The desire is to have a more compact, walkable, mixed-use environment where you can attract more than just the single-story development that has been happening in the past," council member Russ Stephenson said.

Developers pitch the Kerr Drug-anchored project as a way to work toward that goal. "We're hoping if it gets there, it will jumpstart this area of Hillsborough Street," said Robin Currin, an attorney working on the project.